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Wednesday, 4 November 2009

IIWA? WOYWW?

I employed the flash this morning...it's 'occasionally bright' today - could do better - but the light/sun if there is any, doesn't arrive at the back of the house until lunchtime, so I think the over-exposed look will probably be a theme for my winter photography! But, as you can see, there's been another return to form! I hope someone finds this mess even vaguely inspiring! I'm working on a couple 4" square canvasses which you can just see. The basket of upside down pots are all Pearl Ex. Love 'em. In this case used to colour the second canvas - very technically done too - wipe on some gesso and then sprinkle on some Pearl Ex powder and rub it in. All with God's paintbrush...my fore finger of course! You can see a freshly opened pot of Crackle Accents (see, I do use some Ranger stuff!). You can tell I've only just opened it - the packaging, torn and twisted from the bottle is all over the table! Don't you hate it when you tear the cardboard off the back of a blister pack and it comes away in about 8 layers. You couldn't MAKE it do that. There's a very large pot of gesso at the back, bought in a cheapskate shop. Price to be paid for that is that I can't get the foiled plastic seal off the tub top - it's so well sealed around the top of the tub that it just won't come off - eventually I was moved to stab it, of course. Now I'm using it out of a much smaller aperture than I'd like. Frustrating. Apart from the stabbing.Right against the back of the table is a couple rubber stamps. Waiting to inspire me. One I bought last week and one I've borrowed from the Lady Nurse. They don't belong together, I just let them sit there quietly till they whisper an idea at me. Currently they have about 4 days left before being reconsidered for not whispering to me. Tough life for stamps round here - the piled high basket on the right is full of stamps and blocks and a couple tidy trays waiting to be washed. Some things never change.

So share with us the inspiration and products currently in use on your work surface - floor, tray, bench, whatever! Leave a link here and we'll trot round and visit you. If you like the idea, nab the button in the top left of my side bar, designed by Sissy Dunnit and made by Annie coz she's clever. And, note to Annie - I'll investigate Mr Linky...you'll be totally unsurprised that I completely forgot until I wrote the previous line! Share your surfaces then people, the interweb needs to see!

That's what mine's usually like Julia. mine only looks reasonably tidy 'cos all the mess is at the back of the desk and also 'cos I'd finished what I was diong for the Sunday Stampers challenge. Haven't made a start yet today. I bought the same Gesso but didn't have any problem opening it, think you must have just been unfortunate :-/ Your post gave me a smile which is always a good thing :)I've uploaded mine and also a piccie of the birdie I had on my desk last week ;)Anne xx

I did that with a pot of book binding glue - the stabby thing. Some how it ended up lying down in a draw and now I have a pot and some magazines welded to the draw in a rock hard mountain of stuff that just wont shift, wont even chisel out. Draw is pretty much useless now but the tv sits on top so it stays :D

Nice to see your feeling better this week Julia and your desk looks fully employed it looks like you have been as busy as me today Here‘s my DeskI am off to have a potter around all the other desks now catch you later Love Susie xx

I have that Gesso and I had to do the stabby thing too ... in fact every time it comes out of the drawer I do some more of the stabby thing! You are gonna be totally shocked by my next statement ... Crackle Accents are the bane of my life ... I know ... I usually love all things Ranger but Crackle accents are too slow to crackle and I have the tendency to poke it to see if it has dried uncrackled ... obviously it usually has n't and then does n't crackle or looks rubbish!My desk is here and a big fat NO to Mr Linky pleeeeeeease ... I love reading all the comments ... you don't get those with Mr Linky ... howz about just getting Mr Blogger to open all links to comments in a new window ... that works :0)

Busy busy desk Julia.Blister packs are a total nightmare - why must they be sooooo impossible to open? grrrrMy craft desk has been inactive today - that does not mean tidy though. I've also posted a pic of my other desk. Yes, I have two incredibly messy desks. how embarrassing!

YOu are such a girl after my own heart! if it won't come off stab it with the sharpest pair of scissors you can find :) ask questions later! ;) I love looking at your desk! there's always so much there to gaze at :)

I don't know if I'd know gesso if I came upon it casually, we've never been formally introduced. Is it good?I do love having a nose around. I've come to the conclusion that my workspace is entirely too small, that's the only possible explanation of why it's so messy! The little lists on my noticeboard are orders for cards, details of different challenges and oss sentiments that I've noticed along the way that I thought may be useful! here

I have blogged .... Yeah ... a rather boring WOYWW sorry .... but I hope you like the animal photos.

Empathize about stabbing the seal ...I usually cant even get into a pack of ham. How I used to tease my mum as she stuggled with packaging .... It will come to all of you out there ...gets gradually worse with each year over the age of ????? ...45.

Glad you're back on form Julia and the desk is in a mess! Well it could be a lot worsethan it is today. Always something to look at which is great.My cheat's WOYWW is here http://cupboardcrafter.blogspot.com/The magnetic mat is great for paper cutting with a knife or magnetic cutter which comes with it and it's a large size. There's a magnetic circle cutter as well which I was using on my layout - that works a treat as the paper doesn't move and you can go up to 12x12 size! Downside is that I don't want to get ink or glue over it so I keep taking it on and off my table to keep it pristine!

Hi Julia that spring bound book is a Tim Holtz book of Adage Tickets , just little tear out tickets with words on to add to you projects ...very useful when your lost for words ...!! lol your like me so I doubt that happens often !!! he he Love Susie xx

What's IIWA stand for then, the title gets more bizaar each week, LOL.Well, my desk's here http://jay-dailydeliberations.blogspot.com/. Still can't work out how to do that smart little link that everyone else does.Your desk is much more crafty than mine, as usual.

Ooooh, what an interesting desk! I'd be interested to know how you get on with the crackle accents. Can't get on with AT ALL I'm afraid - just doesn't do what I think it should do. I love my glossy accents, so this is a constant source of disappointment to me. I want it to crackle more than it does...

Glad you are back and it would seem, on form Julia :) I have finally got around to putting up a picture of my craft desk.

I too got a lovely BIG pot of Gesso from a Bargain shop and yes, I too did the stabby thing, with a pair of scissors, like Pam, I too have removed all the the foil lid as digging in a tiny raggedy hole was just not working. Mine too is fine and still usable though thanks for the remonder, I am going to said bargain shop tomorrow and need another pot! Not because it has become unusable, but because the Gesso fairies have been at it, I am sure that I have not used THAT much of it lol.

I am totally spoiled after the kids left the house - I have a total room for crafting - but don't kid yourself - I still end up working on top of "something". Should the clutter-fairy ever visit - she would faint.... =0) LOLApart from a couple of bday cards for kids I am working on Xmas stuff right now - with a couple of new Magnolia stamps and some cute stamps I just bought from a Swedish company. Texts in an oval and made to fit Nestabilities - clever isn't it. As I am also new to using Copics Ciao for colouring these are all over my desk - as I am not yet familiar with the shades and need to look through them (or is that an excuse for stroking them an extra time??).To answer your question about scraps - I am an absolute hoarder BUT I also use my scraps. Next to my QK dies and machines I keep tiny scraps I could use when diecutting. The cardstock big enough for a card I keep in a box of its one - and please don't hate me - but they are sorted in colours. NOT because I am obsessed with order - BELIEVE me I am not - but because I know it saves time when I have to look for something. My patterned paper is only sorted into bright, muted and dark - and I rummage through them when I need something. These are not ON my desk - but just next to it in 3 white IKEA boxes. I have TONS of new papers - but when I create something I don't care whether it is the latest fashion - if I like it and it suits the theme I am going for - it can be used.My suggestion would be to divide your scraps into a couple of groups that would work for you and try to force yourself to look there and use something whenever you see something suitable.SORRY for this LOONG post - but it's difficult to explain in a few words - especially for someone from another country. =0)